By The Time We Knew
by Miyama Ishida
Summary: please read and review. thanks


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Miyama: Here you go, Katherine. A story just for your contest. I said that I would write a better story then that chick, but now I'm not so sure. All I know is, I want to get at least a 'honourable mention' or something. It's when Daisuke and them are in grade twelve. Oh well… I don't own… oh screw that! I will own digimon, even if I have to kill a few people in the process!!! Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!  
  
Title: By The Time We Knew…  
Author: Miyama (Hayashi) Ishida  
Rating: PG13 - depressing   
  
Ha. You know, I can be really stupid. Bright sunshine day, no school, and happy people. Or so I thought. Now that I think of it, I should have seen the signs. Typical signs, the kind you see in cheesy movies.   
Anyway.  
Someone had the great idea of going to the park. I think it was Daisuke, I can't remember. Him or Miyako. They were always the ones to think of things to do. So we went. Packed a picnic lunch and everything too. Everyone was there, except Yamato who had band practice, and Mimi of course. She was still in the States at the time. Little did she know the reason she would come back to Japan. So there we were, all ten of us, gathered underneath this large willow tree, blanket spread, eating potato salad and chips. Laughing, talking, enjoying the sunshine. Except him. He was so quiet now that I think of it. I mean, he answered when someone said something to him, but he didn't say anything by himself. Not until he left.  
Flashback  
"So anyway, I ducked, right, and so when he took a swing at me it went right over my head, and that was when I got him in the stomach."   
"Daisuke, why do you…" Ken started.  
"Hey, let me finish! So when I nailed him, he doubled over, right, and caught me on the side of my face. That's where I got the bruise from." Daisuke grinned and winced a bit from the large purple-blue mark on his left cheek.   
"Well that was stupid." Miyako laughed.  
"And I wasn't going to let him off for marking my gorgeous face…"  
"Oh brother…" Takeru shook his head.  
"Shut up. Anyway, he's leaning over me now, and I saw this as my golden opportunity to make him look like an idiot."  
"Why, so the two of them would match?" Takeru whispered to Hikari. She giggled. Daisuke glared at him.  
"Ha, ha, ha. So I dropped to the ground and kicked his legs out from under him…"  
"And that's when he fell on you and broke your arm with his head. The guy fell right on top of him, and with Daisuke's arm, knocked…"  
"Iori! It's my story!"  
"Himself out cold. Daisuke was stuck under him until three teachers managed to pull him out from underneath."   
"Iori! Now you've gone and ruined the story!" Daisuke pouted.  
"Sorry. Sometimes I can't help but interrupt."   
"Sometimes I hate the fact that you're at our school now. Ouch!" Daisuke tried to cross his arms, and pulled his sling too tight, causing him to involuntarily yelp in pain. The others laughed at him.  
"Hey you guys, don't laugh. His arm must hurt a lot. Just leave him alone."  
"At least someone has some decency. Thanks Jyou."  
"………" he shrugged and got up. "I have to go. I'll see you guys later." He left.  
"What's with him?" Taichi asked Sora.  
"I don't know. He doesn't tell me anything anymore."  
End flashback  
And yet no one thought to go after him, or try to talk to him, or anything. Sora of all people should have been the first to know when he was gone. She was his best friend, after all. At least from her point of view. From anyone's point of view. Except his.  
Flashback  
"Sora, do you know where Jyou went? I can't find him, and his mother says he isn't home."   
"Why are you looking for him Hikari?"  
"He borrowed Taichi's tape recorder and now Taichi needs it, and I said that I would get it for him because I was going towards his house anyway, but he isn't there. At home I mean."  
"I have no idea where he is. I mean, he did call me last night, but I was just leaving for my date with Koushiro, so I asked him to call me back but he never did."  
"You've been spending a lot of time with Koushiro lately."  
"I know. I think that he may be the one. I used to talk to Jyou for hours about things like this, but for the past few weeks I haven't had the time."  
"I thought you two were really close."  
"We are. I mean, he means the world to me. He's my best friend! And I'm his. I would do almost anything for him."   
"That sounds like the relationship I have with Takeru."   
"Something like that."  
"So you don't know where he is?"  
"No. If you see him, tell him to call me on my cell. Unless it's between 1 and 4. Koushiro's taking me to a movie."   
End flashback  
Why are people blind to the things that are the most obvious? I guess it's like a small fly landing on your nose. It's so close, that you just can't see it. Not until it bites you. He was missing for a while. After a few days, when everyone started to panic, he showed up. Just acted like he wasn't gone.   
Flashback  
"Where were you? I have been so worried that something happened to you, I've been going out of my mind!"  
"Why? It's not like I haven't gone away for a few days before."  
"No, but at least then you tell me where you were going!"  
"……………"  
"Well, say something!"  
"Sorry?"  
"Just sorry? Aren't you at least going to tell me where you went?"   
"It doesn't matter."  
"Jyou!"  
"Sora, calm down. Everything's fine now. In a little while, you'll never have to worry about me doing that to you ever again. I promise."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You'll understand later. Understand everything. I have to go."  
"You always have to go! Whenever I need to talk to you, you always have to go."  
"You don't need me."  
"What?"  
"You have Koushiro now."  
"Koushiro's my boyfriend. You're my best friend. There's a difference." Sora replied. Jyou sighed, and hugged her close.  
"I know that. Boy, do I ever know that."  
"What did you say?"  
"Nothing."  
End flashback  
I was with her when she got the tape. I have never seen anyone cry so much in my entire life. And I don't think I ever will again. And all I could do was try to comfort her, but she didn't want me. She never wanted me after that. Not that I blamed her. With the way he worded it, it was like the whole thing was my fault. And for the longest time I thought it was.   
Flashback  
"Sora, honey, Jyou asked me to give you this, and tell you it's really important."  
"What is it?"  
"It's a tape. He told me not to listen to it, and that you should listen to it at 8:00."  
"Thanks Mrs. Kido."  
"Have a good time on your date, dear."  
"Thanks." The woman shut the door, and Sora walked down the steps to Koushiro's car.   
"So what was this really important thing that Jyou wanted to give you?"  
"A tape. What time is it?"  
"7:30. Why?"  
"Mrs. Kido said I had to listen to it at 8:00."  
"I don't know if we'll be out of the movie at 8:00."  
"Oh."  
"Well why don't you listen to it right now? It seems important. I mean, he told his mom to tell you that."  
"True enough. Do you have a tape deck?"  
"Yeah, hang on a second." Koushiro unplugged the disk man from the stereo. "The tape?"  
"Here." Sora handed him the tape, and he put it in the tape deck and turned p the volume a bit. Jyou's voice came over the speakers in a clear tone.  
"Sora, when you listen to this, everything will have changed. You'll no longer have to worry about me being around, because I won't be. I know you'll be safe and happy because you have Koushiro…"  
"Koushiro stop the car!" Sora said in a strangely quiet but shaky voice. He complied immediately.  
"… and he'll take care of you. I know he will. He loves you almost as much as I do. Yes, I love you Sora. I love you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my very being. And I know that I can never have you. It's just like you said. I'm your best friend, not your boyfriend, and there's a difference. I want you to be happy with Koushiro, and you're not happy when I'm not happy, and I'll never be happy without you. It will be an easy death. I never could swim very well. I can't live without you. So I won't. Good bye, my angel of the sky. I love you, and always will." The tape ended, and the two sat in silence, tears streaming down Sora's face.   
"Sora…" Koushiro reached toward the redhead.  
"We have to find him. We have to find him now! Koushiro, where would you go if you were going to……… drown yourself?" Sora managed to say in a croaky voice.  
"Where would I…?" he thought a moment, but Sora interrupted him before he could say anything.  
"The bridge!"  
"The what?"  
"The bridge! The bridge! The wooden one that Jyou won't go anywhere near! He said he was scared that it might break, and that whoever fell from it would definitely drown!"  
"Right!" Koushiro started the car, and nearly got into an accident from suddenly darting into traffic, cutting off several cars and speeding like a maniac toward the old part of town.  
End flashback  
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. At least the reaction part is right. When people do stupid things, we usually do stupid things in reply. The intelligence of the human race. So smart, so willing to learn, so blind to the ways of the heart.  
Flashback  
Jyou glanced at his watch. Two minutes to eight.   
"Well, it's almost here." He glanced over the side of the bridge and stared at the cold, calm waters below him, then down the road either way. No cars, no lights. No sign of life, except himself. He climbed onto the railing and sat on the edge, legs hanging over towards the water. He sighed.  
"Jyou, why did you have to fall for the one girl you knew you shouldn't have? Of all people, your best friend? So much for the crest of reliability. Well, at least she can rely on you to solve her problem. You." He glanced at his watch again, and then around once more.   
"Huh. I wonder who would want to drive down here?" he saw car lights coming from the right. He then grabbed the beam beside him, and pulled himself up to standing position. He glanced downward, and turned around, back to the water. The car was closer now, and the driver was honking his horn repeatedly. Jyou watched the car drive to the beginning of the bridge, and stop as someone opened the door and jumped out the passenger's side. The person stumbled, fell, and quickly got up and ran towards him.   
"Jyou, no, don't! Please, don't!" she was screaming at him. His alarm on his watch went off, telling him it was eight o'clock.  
"Sora…"  
"Jyou, please, please don't! I need you!"   
"…good bye." He closed his eyes, and fell backwards into midair, a single tear on his face. Sora ran for all she was worth, but to little avail. She reached him just as he let himself fall, and even though she reached out to grab his shirt, all she caught was air. She stood at the rail, and watched as her best friend fell into the river, and disappear beneath the water's surface.   
"Jyou! Jyou, Jyou! No!!!!!!" she sunk to the ground, her legs turning to jelly underneath her. Koushiro ran to her.  
"Sora…"  
"He's gone! He left me! How could he leave me like that? How? How could he?"  
"Sora…" she stood up, and started to climb over the rail.  
"What are you doing?"  
"I have to save him! He can't swim! I have to get him!" her face was shining from the tears that coated it. Koushiro grabbed her and pulled her back onto the bridge.  
"Don't be ridiculous! The drop alone probably killed him! And the water's ten degrees! Sora, if you jump in there, even if you managed to get him, you'd both be dead in a few minutes!"  
"I don't care! Let me go! I have to get him!"  
"Sora…"  
"I can't live without him!" she sobbed, and dropped to the ground. Koushiro wrapped his arms around her, but she shoved him away.  
"Don't touch me! Never touch me!"  
"Sora…"   
"I never want to get close to a guy again! Ever!" she took off, running.   
End flashback  
Ever. She kept her word. She always did. The funeral was beautiful. For a funeral. I think he would have liked it. She wore black for a year. She wouldn't speak to anyone for almost the same. She would just stare into space for hours, as she cried silently. She never smiles anymore. Even years later, I haven't seen her smile. But then, she won't really go near me. I asked Mimi about it once. She said that I remind her too much of him. Like I said, sometimes I can be stupid.   
  
  
Author's notes - oh my gosh, that turned out nothing like I usually write! Who would have thought that it would have been Jyora/Sorshiro? Not me, that's for sure… except for Koushiro *sigh* I don't really like either of them. Well, I don't really like Jyou. Sora o just plain want to beat out of existence. Oh well. You know what? She's actually kinda fun to write. Of course the fact that she was scarred for life and seriously depressed after might have something to do with it… *shrugs* oh well. I hope it was ok for your contest Katherine! May the Laughing Mountain Gods smile on all who read and approve of this story!!! *big grin* 


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